


Across Light and Dark Stars

by OrcaDork6



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Ending, Angst, Angst and Feels, BB-8 Is There For Hugs, BB-8 Ships It, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben Solo is a Mess, Ben Swolo, Dark Reylo, Dark Side Rey, Dead Man Walking, Dead Sheev Palpatine, Don't Examine This Too Closely, F/M, Feels, Force Bond (Star Wars), Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I am the Senate, I don't know how dark this will get, Inappropriate Use of the Force, Isolation, Look mom I fixed it, Manipulative Sheev Palpatine, Mentioned Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious, Multi, Other, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Redeemed Ben Solo, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey Palpatine, Reylo - Freeform, Romance, Seduction to the Dark Side, Shameless Smut, Smut, Star Wars References, Star Wars Universe, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, The Dark Side of the Force, The Force Ships It, Virgin Rey (Star Wars), all of the feels, doing my best to be accurate, error 404 ben solo not found, i have the high ground, maybe..., okay maybe there is some plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:01:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25990243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrcaDork6/pseuds/OrcaDork6
Summary: (This picks up right where Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker left off.)While Finn and Poe are off leading the Resistance and establishing a new galactic government, Rey begins her new life on Tatooine. She needs to learn how to control the incredible powers that she inherited from Palpatine. Her ability to wield Force lightning has already put her friends' lives at risk once. Rey refuses to lose control around them again. That's why she finds herself utterly alone.Besides, Poe doesn't need a Palpatine hanging around and ruining his attempts to create a new Galactic Senate. Or something like that.As Rey contemplates her isolation from Luke's childhood home, she can't help thinking of Kylo Ren... Of Ben. His death left her with so many unresolved feelings, between her first kiss and his last breaths. Rey doesn't know how to mourn him. But she saw his body dissolve into the Force. She knows that, unlike Palpatine and Vader, Ben is never coming back. At least, she can take comfort in the knowledge that Ben Solo will stay at peace.Right?Wrong. The Sith is alive, and so is Kylo Ren.
Relationships: Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey/Ben Solo, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 33
Kudos: 104





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at writing Reylo, so go easy on me. I'll do my best to stay true to the Star Wars universe, but I'm only human. I'm bound to make a mistake or two.  
> I hope you enjoy <3

Twin moons rose over the horizon, a third close behind. Rey watched them from where she sat perched atop Luke Skywalker’s childhood home. Before her, Tatooine’s desert sands stretched out to infinity, glittering in shades of lilac and silver. Never had Rey felt more alone.

_After everything I’ve been through, I’m right back where I started…_

As if sensing her thoughts, BB-8 let out a soft chirp, reminding her that she wasn’t _completely_ alone.

Rey tucked the little droid closer to her side, and gave it an affectionate pat. There was no telling how long it would be before Poe returned for his droid. After the last battle, Poe had stayed with the Resistance to stamp out the last embers of the First Order. After that… It was hard to say. Still, Rey knew that there were vague plans to reinstate the Galactic Senate—with the addition of checks and balances to keep any one person from growing too powerful. Like Palpatine.

 _Palpatine_.

And that was the real reason Rey was here, wasn’t it? Why she was alone on Tatooine, rather than with her friends enjoying the fruits of their labor as the hopes of the Resistance finally came to fruition.

As the fearless leader of the Resistance, Poe was finally in a position to make a change in the galaxy. Of course, everyone was grateful that Rey had restored balance in the Force, sure. But now it was time for Poe to restore order to the government. That’s what the people really wanted. And Poe’s solution was the new Galactic Senate.

Only, no one in their right mind would entertain the idea of a new Galactic Senate coming from a guy who liked to hang out with a Palpatine.

Finn was a good friend for Poe to have right now. Finn’s presence in the Resistance showed those who might have been displaced by the First Order—who might have been _involved_ with the First Order—that even former storm troopers could find redemption.

Right now, it was best for everybody if Rey kept out of the public eye. And the worst part was that Rey agreed. Politics aside, she knew that she possessed a deadly, untamed power. The last time Rey lost control of her force lightning, she nearly killed Chewie. She refused to watch another friend die, just because she lost her temper. Until Rey knew for certain that she could control herself, she’d willingly maintain her self-isolation.

At that moment, Rey’s thoughts drifted to Kylo… To Ben. He always struggled with his temper, always felt isolated and alone…

Abruptly, Rey stood, carefully maneuvering herself and BB-8 off the roof. Inside, she shoved the thoughts of Ben back into the gaping hole he’d left in her chest.

Of course, the thoughts Rey tried so hard to suppress during the day always returned to her at night.

Sometimes, she dreamed of Ben dying. Those were the nightmares. In some, she sat on Palpatine’s throne and watched lightning arc from her hand, striking Ben in the chest, stopping his heart. In others, she simply felt him die in her arms, never able to hold him tightly enough.

But then, there were some dreams that weren’t so nightmarish. Ben didn’t die in those dreams. He never pulled away from their kiss—Rey’s first kiss, perhaps her only kiss—having spent his last breath against her lips.

Instead, Ben only pulled away to let out an incredulous, hopeful laugh. Then, he lowered his mouth back to hers, gently pressing Rey back until she felt cool stone against her shoulder blades. She looked up and found Ben hovering over her, his deep eyes filled with desire and something more tender. In her chest, Rey felt the bond between them vibrate with energy as it pulled them toward each other, screaming, _yes, yes, this was meant to be_ as Ben tore away the thin layers of clothing between them, and their bodies merged into one. Together, they were light reconciled with dark, dark reconciled with light. In them, the force was perfectly balanced. Their souls were already joined; their bodies were just eager to follow suit.

Those nights, Rey woke up panting, her thighs wet and her fingers searching for Ben beside her in bed.

That night, it took Rey a solid minute of confused searching before she remembered that Ben was dead, his body dissolved into the Force. He wasn’t coming back.

Never had Rey felt more alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Rey woke up the next morning to the sound of an agonized scream.

She sat bolt upright in bed.

“Ben?” Her lips tingled, as if with electricity.

Elsewhere in the dim bedroom, Rey heard BB-8 whirr in confusion at her outburst.

After a beat, Rey raked a hand through her sweat-damp hair, and exhaled. If there was someone screaming, it definitely wasn’t Ben.

It took a few minutes for Rey’s eyes to adjust. When they did, she realized that dawn had barely broken outside.

“BB-8,” she began, sounding as breathless as she felt. “Did you hear someone scream?”

BB-8 cocked its head to the side at Rey. No, it hadn’t heard a scream.

“Never mind. I’m just hearing voices again. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

BB-8 let out a little huff of air through its cooling vents before settling back into its dock to continue charging.

Unfortunately, Rey knew that there was no point trying to return to sleep. Instead, she pulled her lightsaber out from beneath her pillow and grabbed her staff from where it leaned against the end of the bed. After strapping her weapons to her body, Rey slipped silently out of the room.

Rey knew it was going to be particularly hot that day the instant she stepped outside. She could already feel the first risen sun testing its strength against her skin.

Of course, every day on Tatooine was hot…just like Jakku.

 _At least there’s no Plutt on Tatooine_.

The Jawas were much easier to work with. They weren’t particularly honest—they’d tried to snatch up BB-8 more than once—but at least they were willing to negotiate a fair trade. Plutt didn’t know the meaning of the word “fair.” Besides, Rey couldn’t help but emphasize with the little band of desert scavengers.

Rey herself wasn’t much of a scavenger anymore. Now, she ran a small mechanic shop out of the land that used to be the Skywalker moisture farm. She’d buy parts she didn’t have from the Jawas, and use them to fix droids, racers, and anything else the rural citizens of Tatooine needed her to fix. Rey even managed to repair Luke’s old moisture vaporators, although she couldn’t see herself attempting to do much harvesting. The water she collected was for her own use.

At the moment, Rey walked over to the vaporators. She briefly inspected the metallic spires, making sure that all was in proper order before glancing out at the horizon. There was no sign of life across the sand. All Rey could see was the first of two rising suns.

It bothered her. The scream had sounded so lifelike, so close. If she was being honest with herself, she’d admit that it sounded just like Ben.

Rey shuddered. It couldn’t have been Ben. But it might have been a human male shouting from somewhere nearby. The deserts of Tatooine had plenty of dangers—including Tusken Raiders.

This thought hastened Rey’s steps as she jogged to her speeder.

The scream had sounded close. If someone needed her help, they couldn’t have been far off.

  


Rey rode out until she Luke’s home was just a tiny pinprick on the horizon. Still, she found nothing. No Tusken Raiders. No tracks in the sand. No signs of a struggle. Rey could now confirm that she was completely alone.

_Maybe not completely…_

She was itching to meditate. She usually started first thing in the morning. Glancing around, her eyes caught sight of a large, flat rock.

_There._

Rey parked her speeder at a distance. Approaching, she let her hands skim over the rock’s smooth surface, feeling where years of sandstorms had weathered it down. Slowly, she sat on the rock, crossed her legs beneath her, and let her eyes flutter shut.

_Be with me…_

Rey didn’t know how long it took for her mind to settle into its meditative state. Time was irrelevant. So was the sand in her shoes, and the heat of Tatooine’s suns beating down on her head.

_Be with me…_

Eventually, Rey felt Luke. It was easy to reach him here, on the planet where he grew up.

Rey could also feel the presence of other Jedi masters. Their memories mingled and merged in the light. But right now, Rey needed Luke.

“You’re troubled.”

Oh.

Her eyelids shot open at the sound of Luke’s voice. He stood in front of her, an ethereal pure spirit, shimmering slighting in the heat waves.

Rey fought the urge to rub the goose bumps on her arms. “You’re here.” Rey could always feel Luke’s presence when she meditated, but this was the first time he’d appeared to her as a force ghost since the day she first landed on Tatooine. That was four months ago at least.

Luke nodded in his gruff way. “You’re troubled. Tell me why.”

“I heard a scream this morning. It sounded like…” Rey pressed her lips together, wincing as she felt the dry skin crack.

“Ben,” Luke finished for her. He looked at her shrewdly. “Haven’t you been dreaming about him?”

Rey flushed, and muttered a soft curse that made Luke arch a brow. “Yes, I woke up in the middle of the night last night after having a dream about Ben,” she explained quickly, irritated. “Then I went back to sleep, and didn’t dream anything at all. When I woke up the second time, it was dawn.”

“And that was when you heard the scream?”

“ _Yes_.”

“What did it sound like?”

“Pain.” Rey’s voice cracked around the word as she relived the memory of the sound. “Like a body being wrenched apart. It sounded Ben’s pain, but I don’t know how that would be possible…”

She glanced up, and saw that Luke’s eyes had darkened.

“You know something,” Rey whispered.

“Wrong. I don’t know enough.”

He needed to know more, but what else was there to tell him? Her words came faster as she spoke. “The voice was definitely male, and probably human. I’ve searched everywhere, and I didn’t find anyone who could have screamed. I didn’t find anyone at all. I don’t even know why I bothered going out to look. The voice sounded like it was in the room with me, just like—”

Rey broke off, feeling a pang of pain in her chest.

“Like?”

“Like when Ben would speak to me through the force bond,” Rey whispered. She closed her eyes. “He could have been hundreds of parsecs away, across legions of stars, and I’d still hear him as if he were right there.” Rey stopped. She couldn’t bear the heartache.

“Rey.”

“Why am I always alone? First, it was my parents. Then, it was Han, you, and Leia. Now, it’s Ben.” Tears filled her eyes, threatening to spill over.

“Rey, you need to focus. What you’re feeling right now isn’t helping you figure out what you felt this morning.”

Rey took a deep breath. “What I felt…” Her eyes snapped up to Luke’s. _Oh._ “The scream. It wasn’t just a sound. It was a feeling: I felt a disturbance in the Force. That’s why it bothered me so much.” Trembling now, Rey jumped off the rock. “Luke, what did I feel?”

“I don’t know,” Luke said, dipping his voice low as if someone might overhear. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. Whatever it was, it came from the dark side of the Force.”

“You felt it, too?”

“Only through you,” Luke admitted with a grimace. “I wish I had more information for you.”

Rey gave Luke a tight smile. She wanted to give Luke’s hand a squeeze, but she knew that wasn’t possible anymore.

Instead, Rey rolled her shoulders, and exhaled. “Okay, so the dark side is active, and they’ve done something big. Something that has to do with Ben?”

“Maybe. But I think it’s more likely that the voice you heard was a trick. The followers of the dark side might just be tugging on your bond with Ben in the hopes of luring you into a trap.”

Admittedly, Rey hadn’t thought of that. “So, what should I do about it?”

“You can’t risk going after them. Not yet.” Luke squinted up at the sun. “For now, stay put, continue your training, and prepare for the possibility that you might have to face the Sith.”

  


“BB-8?” Rey called out as she sprinted back into Luke’s home. Her body didn’t want to run in the heat, but a sense of urgency pressed her on. Luke might have told her to stay put, but there was at least one thing she could do.

She followed the sound of the droid’s beeps. Soon, she found BB-8 waiting for her in the kitchen.

“Can you get a message to Poe?”

It’s head perked up at the mention of Poe’s name. Before Rey could explain why she needed to get ahold of him, BB-8 was already establishing a link with Poe’s comm.

“BB-8?” Poe’s voice rang out through the room. “What’s wrong? Where’s Rey?”

BB-8 let out a happy whirr as Rey slowly sank into a chair beside the droid. “I’m right here. Are you in a place where we can talk?”

“As good a place as any.” Rey heard the crooked grin in his voice. “I was in the middle of a very important and top-secret meeting with some intergalactic high-ups. When I saw BB’s transmission coming through, I ran out and locked myself in the bathroom.”

Rey fought the urge to smack her palm against her face. “For your sake, I’ll try to make this brief: I sensed activity coming from the dark side of the Force this morning. I need you to be on the lookout for Sith.”

Poe let out a long breath. “Okay. What do Sith look like?”

“How would I possibly know that?” Rey sputtered.

“Hey, you know more than me.”

Rey wrinkled her nose. He had a point. “You’ve started reforming the Galactic Senate?”

“We’re officially in stage 1 of my grand scheme: convincing planetary leaders outside of the former First Order that they want a senate. So far, it’s going well. I’ve only been called a lunatic twice.”

Rey shook her head. “If the Sith is out there, I’m sure they won’t be able to resist a fledgling government. Watch out for powerful people trying to manipulate the situation.”

“I’m meeting with politicians on a daily basis. They’re all powerful people trying to manipulate the situation.”

“Follow your gut, then,” Rey snapped. “That’s all you’ve ever listened to before.”

Poe acted like she hadn’t just insulted him. “Got it. And what do you plan to do about all of this?”

Rey massaged her temples. “Same as you. Be on the lookout for Sith. Believe me, I’d be tracking down the dark siders right now if I could be certain that I wasn’t walking into a trap.”

“Sounds rough. I know how much you enjoy walking into traps.”

Rey let her hands fall back into her lap as she glared in the general direction of Poe’s voice. “Goodbye, Poe.”

“Hang on. Seriously, Rey, how are you holding up? We haven’t talked in months.”

“I’m fine, I guess.”

Poe whistled. “That bad?”

“I’m a little lonely,” she murmured, keeping her answer intentionally vague. She couldn’t talk to Poe about how much she missed Ben. Poe didn’t know about the kiss she shared with Ben after defeating Palpatine, and Rey didn’t plan on telling him about it. Finn was the only one who knew even a little bit about Rey’s feelings for Ben, and all he really knew was that Ben had died in her arms.

As if he could read her mind, Poe sighed. “The Resistance feels weird without you. I know Finn misses you like crazy. You should talk to him.”

“I will.” Rey sat up straighter in her chair. “You’d better be taking care of Finn for me.”

“I am. And you’d better be taking good care of my droid.”

“BB-8 has never been better.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Poe muttered. “Now, go meditate or something. I need a minute alone with my droid.”


	3. Chapter 3

The next night—around dawn—Rey heard Ben’s voice again. However, this time, it wasn’t a scream.

It was a sob. So soft that it was barely audible.

This time, Rey woke up with a small scream of her own.

She shut her eyes, and reached out halfway across the bond, careful not to reveal too much of herself.

“Where are you?” She asked in a voice she hoped sounded calm.

Rey didn’t know what kind of a response she expected from the other side of the Force. A sigh of relief? A peal of villainous laughter?

What she felt was an overwhelming wave of terror, coming from the other end of the bond. The sound of crying cut off abruptly, and Rey was shut out.

_One week later_.

“No!”

Rey jerked awake at the sound of Ben’s shout, shivering violently. This time, there was no denying that the voice she’d heard was Ben’s.

She sat up slowly. Ben wasn’t alive anymore, but someone was tapping into their bond, and mimicking his voice. This was someone who wanted to take advantage of Rey’s grief… Someone who wanted Rey to think that Ben was in pain.

It smelled like a trap. Rey knew it was risky to engage with whoever was manipulating her from the dark side, but she was too angry to care.

No one had the right to use Ben’s voice against her.

“Leave Ben alone,” Rey snarled, pushing against the bond.

The bond shoved her violently back.

Rey’s teeth clicked together as her head snapped back against her pillow. She sat still for several moments, breathing in and out as she reeled from the mental and physical whiplash.

Rey tested her weight on the bond again, more carefully this time. All she found was darkness.

_One month later._

Rey kept having the dreams about Ben. Every night, she relived his final moments, although each dream had a slightly different outcome. She couldn’t mourn his death because her mind wouldn’t stop reliving it.

_Two months later_.

Sometimes, Rey felt movement on the other end of the bond. It felt like a fish, tugging on a line.

Of course, Rey had never been fishing—there wasn’t enough water on Jakku. She’d just heard stories about fishing from Poe. He talked about what it felt like to reel in a big catch… Only to have the line snap before the fish became visible through the murky surface of the water.

That’s what this felt like.

_Four months later_.

“You’re really there, aren’t you, Rey?”

Rey stirred in her sleep, but didn’t wake. She was exhausted after a full day of training with force lightning. That night, she didn’t have the strength to drag herself from Ben’s arms.

“You’ve been with me all this time,” Ben’s voice continued in a murmur. “I don’t think you ever left.”

In the dream, Ben ran his hand up Rey’s bare waist, making her sigh.

The voice tickling Rey’s ear inhaled sharply, as if in surprise.

“Yes, I see you now.”

Warm fingers grazed the top of Rey’s hand.

Rey woke with a gasp, clutching her fists to her chest.

The room was empty. BB-8 was so used to Rey waking up like this that it didn’t even stir.

“Who’s there?” Rey whispered into the darkness. Only silence met her from the other end of the bond.

Shivering, Rey slipped out of bed, and padded into Luke’s kitchen. After pouring herself a glass of blue milk, Rey sat at the table, and put her head in her hands.

Was it all just a dream? Or had the Sith slipped past her defenses while she’d been asleep?

Rey shook her head, and took a sip from her cup. A Sith wouldn’t have touched her hand like that. A Sith would’ve wrapped his fingers around her throat, and squeezed until Rey stopped breathing.

The next morning, BB-8 found Rey slumped over the table.

She lurched awake.

“Sorry, BB. I had a nightmare last night. I thought some milk might help. Must’ve fallen asleep here…”

Rey wiped crusted drool from the corner of her mouth with a grimace. The blue milk had gone sour the table beside her. Rey disposed of it quickly, stomach turning at the smell. A quick glance in the pantry told her that she’d need to run into town for supplies today, or go hungry tonight.

She sighed. At least it would be a good chance to ask around Mos Eisley and see if anyone needed a mechanic. The bartender at the Cantina always seemed to know who needed a hand with their ships. And if there were any potential dark-siders in the area, he’d be the one to ask.

Shutting the pantry door, Rey turned to the droid behind her, and leaned her hip against the table. “Any word from Poe?”

BB-8 shook its head, and let out a dejected little bleep.

“I guess that’s a good thing.”

BB-8 didn’t look too sure.

“We’ll give him a call tonight, I promise. But right now, we need to head for Mos Eisley for a supply run. Are you coming?”

In answer, BB-8 spun around in an excited little circle, and raced to the speeder.

The Mos Eisley Cantina was as lively as ever. The sun was barely in the sky, but there were already at least a dozen aliens and humans completely wasted at the bar. Creatures in the booths shot Rey suspicious glances as she walked through the door, but she didn’t meet their stares.

Thankfully, Rey didn’t need to remind BB-8 to stay close as Rey pushed her way up to the bar.

“I’ll take a Fuzzy Tauntaun,” Rey murmured, and slid a bag of coins across the table.

The bartender’s peeked inside. His eyes widened only slightly, seeing far more coins than necessary. “Just one?”

“Yes, please.”

The man grunted as he poured her drink from the tap. “What do you want to know?”

“Just if anything strange has happened around here recently. I haven’t been to town in a while.”

He smirked as he passed her the glass. “Sure, there’s been some strangeness. But nothing out of the ordinary.”

Rey’s lips tingled as she took a sip. The light, peachy nectar tasted especially refreshing in the hot, dry air. “Nothing I need to be concerned about?” Rey had a feeling that the bartender knew a little too much about all of his patrons.

“As a matter of fact, there was a guy who came in asking about you yesterday.”

Rey nearly choked on her drink. She set the glass back down on the table. “About me? Directly?”

The bartender nodded. “His name was Matt, I think… Matt the Radar Technician. Ever heard of him?”

“No.” Rey felt her nose crinkle as she stared up at the man on the other side of the bar at the Cantina. “Is he a mechanic?” _And does he only fix radars?_

“Yeah. He’s a local guy. Apparently, he’s been in Mos Eisley for a while now, although yesterday was the first I’ve seen of him.”

“That’s weird,” Rey murmured, returning to her cup for another sip. “What did he want to know about me?”

“He wanted to know where to find you. He said he wanted to have a chat about you stealing his clientele.”

“That’s ridiculous. I haven’t stolen anything.” Rey felt her eyes widen. “Did you tell him where he could find me?”

“Of course not. I told him to get the hell out of my bar.”

_Liar._ Rey quickly composed her expression, and feigned relief. “Thank you.”

“Hey, it’s no problem.” Abruptly, the bartender leaned his forearms on the counter between them, bringing his face close to hers. Rey fought the urge to gag as the rank scent of sweat and booze overwhelmed her senses. “Even if he ends up finding you, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“Why’s that?”

“He looks about as threatening as a Porg. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s a pretty big guy. But other than that, he looks like the kind of guy who just wants to tinker with his little toys all day, know what I mean? He’s got floppy blond hair, glasses, and a bit of a baby face.”

“Human?”

The bartender nodded.

“Do you know where I might find him? I might as well save him the search.”

“Uh, yeah. He’s just on down the street, on the edge of town.”

Rey tipped back her drink. “Perfect. Thanks.”

Rey walked with new purpose as she left the bar, BB-8 close on her heels.

Matt the Radar Technician certainly didn’t sound like a Sith lord. But if he was asking about her, Rey needed to pay him a visit.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took a couple of days to get out! I wanted to make it perfect <3  
> More chapters are on the way!

Sweat rolled down the curve of Rey’s spine as she approached Matt the Radar Technician’s shop. From the outside, it looked like any of the crooked, sandstone buildings on the edge of Tatooine’s marketplace, save for a sign above the door reading, “Matt the Radar Technician: Basement.”

Reading it, Rey glanced around. “Basement? Where does he keep the ships?”

BB-8 let out a trill of beeps, making Rey snort.

“If someone is stealing his customers, it’s not me.”

Cobwebs dangled from the ceiling, forcing Rey to duck her head as she stepped through the doorway and into the darkened interior. The entrance dipped immediately to a narrow ramp.

Rey narrowed her eyes. Nothing about this felt right.

“BB, if anything goes wrong, I need you to get out of here, and call Finn and Poe,” she said quietly. “Find your way back to Luke’s if you can. If not, stay hidden until they can come and get you. Don’t let anyone steal you away, and don’t trust anyone except Finn or Poe… And maybe Rose.”

BB-8 shot her a worried glance, wheels crunching against the grit on the floor. Rey’s soft footsteps were near silent in contrast.

As she walked, she kept her hand balanced on the dusty wall beside her head. She could feel where her fingertips trailed across grains of sand that had been baked into brick long ago. The temperature dipped drastically with every step, but the stale, subterranean air felt refreshing somehow.

The darkness thickened, and soon, Rey lost the ability to see.

The ground slowly leveled out beneath her feet, indicating to Rey that she’d reached the end of the passageway that led down into the basement.

“Hello?” Rey called out, moving slowly forward. “I’m looking for Matt… The Radar Technician.” Her voice sounded strained with annoyance. Rey had never been good at feigning politeness. “Is he down here?”

“We’re closed,” a voice growled back. It sounded muffled.

 _Closed in the middle of the day?_ Rey felt her eyes narrow as she peered through the darkness. “Don’t you want to look at my radar? It’s completely shot.”

Incredulous, BB-8 whipped its head toward her.

Rey pressed a finger to her lips, mouthing, “Shh.”

“This is your final warning.” The distorted voice snarled. “Get out. Now.”

The wall beneath Rey’s trailing hand ended in a doorway covered with a tattered curtain. Rey stopped there, hugging the wall as she slipped her saber out of her belt. She jerked her chin at BB-8, reminding the droid to stay out of sight. She heard the little droid retreat across the floor.

Then, Rey sensed movement on the other side of the room: heavy footsteps drawing closer... Rey held her breath.

Suddenly, a bright beam of red light pierced the curtain, tearing it down the middle.

Rey’s yellow saber rose up to meet the red one just in time. Light crackled where the sabers met, looking like the flames on the surface of some distant star between Rey and her attacker. It illuminated the dark hall, and Rey found herself staring up at her own face in the metallic reflection of the assailant’s welding mask.

“You came,” the man said, his voice barely audible through the mask. He seemed to tower over Rey in his black clothing.

“Isn’t that what you wanted, Matt the Radar Technician?” She gave the man a heavy shove. “Or should I say, Sith?”

Abruptly, the man pulled back, lowering his weapon. “Is that who you think I am?” It was more of a statement than a question.

Rey stumbled to regain her footing. “I know that’s who you are.” She could feel the darkness clinging to the man’s skin. He was steeped in it.

Something in the man darkened. “You’re not without your own darkness. You look like a Jedi on the surface, but I can see your turmoil underneath. You’re alone, hurting… I’ve never seen you this dark.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” she spat.

“I know everything about you. Our souls are still connected, little Scavenger.”

Blood roared in Rey’s ears. “Liar!” she shouted, and charged with her blade forward.

The man raised his weapon only long enough to deflect her blade. He sliced his free hand through the air, and Rey’s weapon was ripped from her hands. She watched in horror as the hilt clattered to the ground, and the light blinked off.

Before Rey could make a lunge for her saber, the man grabbed her by the collar of her robes, forcing her back against the wall. She heard his boot connect roughly with the saber’s hilt as he kicked it across the floor, far out of her reach.

She twisted and fought in his grasp like a wild animal. “You’re the reason he’s dead. You killed Ben!”

“No. I _am_ Ben.”

With a flick of his wrist, the man removed his mask. It seemed to fall from his face in slow motion. Distantly, Rey heard it clatter to the ground while she stood frozen, staring at the face in front of her.

_Ben’s face._

A soft sob escaped her lips.

His expression was guarded as he gauged her reaction, watching Rey with Ben’s dark eyes, and breathing heavily through Ben’s full lips. Rey lifted her gaze to where Ben’s black hair was plastered to the smooth, pale surface of his forehead. She followed the lines of his face downward, feeling like an addict as she drank in the sight of him.

She desperately wanted to touch his cheek, and feel his skin warm and alive against hers. Instead, she curled her hand around the thick, muscular forearm pinned to her chest, and tried to push him off. He felt inhumanly strong.

“What, no scar?” Rey said finally in a weak voice, nodding at his face. “You don't really seem like Kylo Ren without it."

“The scar that you gave me, and then healed?” The imposter whispered. “When the Sith brought me back, they made me anew. My body is stronger, and so is my power with the Force. But yes, I am missing all of my scars.” He tilted his head to the side. “Would it make you feel better if I had them? I’ll let you give them to me again.”

Bile rose to the back of Rey’s throat. “Get out of my head with your disgusting mind tricks—”

“This isn’t a trick, Rey. I’m real.” The man shifted, twisting their interlocked arms between them until he had Rey’s hand splayed over his chest, his fingers unyielding as he held her there. “Don’t you feel it?”

Rey trembled against him, shaking her head in denial even as she felt the bond between them alive and thrumming with the rhythm of his heartbeat.

_Ben…_

People lied: Snoke claimed that he created the bond between them, Palpatine managed to fool an entire galaxy. But the Force was always true. And Rey could not deny that the man standing in front of her was Ben… Only, it was some twisted version of him. Some evolved form of Kylo Ren. Some creature or clone, forged by darkness.

But somehow, it wore Ben’s face, and spoke with Ben’s soul.

“Yes. I feel it too.” Hot tears ran freely down Rey’s cheeks as she lifted her face to his, unconsciously echoing the words Ben had said to her so long ago. She looked up at him, and the words slipped from her lips. “Ben, I’m so sorry.”

 _I promise,_ she whispered in her mind—and maybe he heard her through the bond. _You won’t feel a thing._

Ben looked at her in confusion for a fraction of a second before. Then, his eyes widened.

He threw Rey away from his body seconds before lightning shot out the palm that had been directly over his heart. The bolt of electricity danced harmlessly off the walls as Rey caught herself against the ground.

Stifling a grunt of pain, Rey started to lift her hand to strike again. But her hands shook too much for her to aim. Not that it mattered, anyway: it had taken up the last of her remaining strength of will to summon the first bolt to her fingertips. She wasn’t strong enough to do it again.

Barely a moment passed before Ben used the force to pin her hands to her sides.

“How could you?” Ben demanded, yanking Rey up by her hair and aiming his saber at her throat. “You’d watch me die a second time? Knowing that it’s me?”

The old betrayal raged behind Ben’s eyes. It was the look that he wore every time he thought of Luke.

Rey cried out as fiery pain licked her scalp, but didn’t shy away from the saber. Her thrashing brought her close to the edge of the blade, and Ben had to pull it back slightly to keep Rey from burning herself.

“I want Ben to be at peace,” she rasped as she struggled against his grasp.

A shadow fell over Ben’s eyes. “It’s too late for that.”

Ben’s saber flicked off, plunging the basement tunnel into darkness. Rey saw the flash of metal through the darkness an instant before Kylo brought the base of the hilt down onto the top of her head.

Intense pain radiated from the crown of her hair to the ends of her limbs, numbing her. No longer held up by Ben’s grip on her hair, Rey fell heavily to the ground. Then, her temple collided with unforgiving stone, abruptly ending Rey’s battle to remain conscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few edits were made after someone in the comments pointed out that Rey heals Kylo Ren's scar, so thank you to that person!  
> Am I the only one who missed that?? That's such a subtle, beautiful detail 😭 Now I'm dying to watch the movies again!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends!  
> Just wanted to give a little non-con warning for this chapter, for anyone who might be sensitive to that (just a brief mention of/reference to non-con). Take care of yourselves, and enjoy! <3

The vivid pain spearing through Rey’s head was her first indication that she wasn’t having another dream about Ben.

Rey groaned. As she tested shifting her muscles, she found that she was strapped to a chair with her wrists cuffed together in her lap.

“You’re awake,” she heard Ben say from somewhere in front of her. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been knocked out and kidnapped,” Rey whispered without opening her eyes. Beneath their voices, Rey recognized the soft hum of a ship in motion. Taking a breath, she finally opened her eyes.

They were in the middle of space, with no planets in sight. How far had they gone from Tatooine?

“Where are you taking me?” Rey demanded, glancing around. She and Ben seemed to be the only passengers onboard.

Ben sat with his back to her, piloting the ship. He didn’t turn around to look at her, but Rey saw his hands tighten on the controls. “With me.”

“With you?”

“You’re going to stay with me from now on. It’s for your own good, Rey.”

Rey doubted that. She licked her lips, and spoke around the dread crawling up her throat. “You’re taking me to the Sith, aren’t you?”

He dipped his chin in a single, stiff nod. “Yes.”

“They sent you after me?”

Ben didn’t reply, so she tried again.

“Where is their base located now? They couldn’t have stayed on Exegol.”

Again, her question was met with only silence.

Rey huffed a sigh. “I’m going to see it as soon as we get there, so there’s no point in keeping secrets—”

“They’re on a Star Destroyer. That’s where we’re going.”

The blood drained from Rey’s face, and her mind flashed back to the Battle of Exegol. She remembered lying on her back in the throne room, staring up at the underbelly of at least a hundred Sith Star Destroyers as Resistance ships burned around them. At the time, it seemed like the last thing she’d ever see.

“A Star Destroyer managed to escape?” She managed to get out.

“Barely, but yes. The ship is currently manned by a number of Storm Troopers and former First Order officers—although they now call themselves the Final Order. Right now, it’s serving as a temporary base of operations for the remaining Sith Eternal until they can find a new planet…”

Rey felt his shift in mood, and followed the line of his thoughts. “They brought you back to life onboard that ship, didn’t they?”

“Yes.” Ben’s eyes had gone distant. “Even I’m not sure how they managed to do it without my body. Apparently, it was all part of Palpatine’s contingency plan.”

This time, Rey fell silent, her mind tangled up with questions. _What else do you remember? Did you ever really die? And can I trust you?_

Several moments passed. Glancing at her, Ben’s voice softened. “You can ask me anything, Rey. I’m not a clone, or a meat puppet like Snoke. I’m the same man you knew.”

“Ben Solo or Kylo Ren?” Rey whispered. “I knew both.”

“Then perhaps I am still both—although, ‘Ren’ doesn’t quite fit anymore, now that the Knights of Ren are gone. On the ship, they call me ‘Darth Kylo’. It would be wise for you to do the same, at least in front of the others.”

She clenched her fingers in her lap before blurting, “I don’t think I can stomach calling you ‘Darth’ anything.”

Ben turned his attention back to the front of ship. “If you value your life, you’ll do as I say. Once we step foot on that Star Destroyer, you will have Sith eyes watching your every move.”

Shuddering, Rey’s gaze fell to the view over Ben’s shoulder. Through the red tinted window of the cockpit, Rey could see hundreds of stars streaking past them like drops of rain. He never seemed to stop chasing Rey across the stars. The hunt used to make Rey feel like his prey: small and afraid. Yet Rey would never her relief when Ben came running to her rescue on Exegol.

She wasn’t sure how to feel about Ben finding her now.

“Why did you come for me?”

“You were alone, and you wanted me. So, I came.”

“The Sith didn’t send you out to capture me?” Her words dripped with disbelief.

“I am the Sith,” Ben snapped, startling her. “I am the culmination of everything Sith Lords like Palpatine and Vader fought for: immortality perfected. The rest are merely the Sith Eternal. Now that Palpatine is dead, they are loyal to me.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

She heard his jaw click as he clenched his teeth. “Anyone who wants to hurt you will have to go through me.”

 _And I’m sure they all want to hurt me._ “You’re trying to protect me now?”

He answered her question with an intense look that Rey couldn’t begin to decipher. When he spoke again, his voice was dangerously soft. “Do you know what the Sith Eternal want to do to you?”

The air stilled in Rey’s lungs. She shook her head.

“They want to punish you for killing Palpatine.”

She could have guessed as much.

“I didn’t kill Palpatine,” Rey argued imploringly, leaning forward as far as the restraints would allow. “I just deflected the lightning he shot at me.”

Ben mirrored her intensity unconsciously, dipping his head toward her as he spoke. “They don’t care about that. That’s a minor detail to the Sith Eternal.”

“They want my life in exchange for the one they think I took?”

He shook his head, mouth tightening into a thin line. “Worse. You carry Palpatine ’s power in your blood. They wouldn’t want to waste that.”

“In my blood?” Rey repeated, and wrinkled her nose. “What could they possibly do with my blood? Bathe in it?”

“ _Kriff,_ Rey,” he cursed suddenly, losing his patience. “They don’t want to drain you: they want to torture you and force you to breed so they can steal your children, and raise them as Sith.”

Rey reeled away from him, straightening in her chair as if she’d been slapped. “Oh.” Her mind went blank, unable to comprehend the horror of what he was suggesting.

Cooling, Ben raked a hand through his hair. “For a scavenger who grew up orphaned on a place like Jakku, you can be incredible dense. Has anyone ever told you that? Kriff, you’re probably still a virgin, despite your dreams—”

“That’s not any of your business,” Rey growled, her face hot. “And what do you know about my dreams?”

“It will be my business if the Sith Eternal decide that you’re a threat—”

“I’m a Jedi, of course I’m a threat to the Sith!” Angry tears filled her eyes, but Rey refused to let them fall. _Betrayed:_ that’s how she felt. “Why didn’t you let me stay on Tatooine? I was safe there.”

“You weren’t safe on Tatooine,” he scoffed softly, although his eyes were intense on hers. He spoke with a quiet, trembling passion. “You were a sitting porg. The Sith would’ve tracked you down eventually. You’re only safe at my side. I’m the only one who can truly protect you from them because I’m the only one they fear.”

“They’re afraid of you? Even though they created you?”

Dark curls fell into Ben’s face as he dipped his chin. His mouth twisted as he glowered at the ground. “They fear me and love me in equal measure. They’ll let me have whatever I want. But they won’t hesitate to rip you away from me if you reveal to them that you’re actually not mine.”

“But I’m _not_ yours.”

“Yes,” Ben pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know that very well.”

Something about Ben’s words made Rey feel guilty, although she wasn’t sure why. He certainly didn’t deserve her guilt.

In all honesty, Rey wasn’t sure what to believe. Ben said that he wanted to protect her, but he still planned to drop her right into the lap of the Sith.

Rey shut her eyes. The pain in her head was making it too hard to think. “What are you asking me to do, Ben?”

“Just trust me. I can’t live another life separated from you. We’ve been bonded by the Force: we’re not meant to be alone.”

She said nothing.

“Please, Rey.”

“Please, what? You insist that you’re not taking me to the Sith so that they can kill me or… Whatever. But what do you expect me to do on a Star Destroyer? Are you just going to lock me in a room so that I’m _safe_?”

“I expect you to continue your training.”

Her eyes flared open. “What?”

Ben’s gaze was steady—he wasn’t joking. “I want you to be my apprentice.”

“Your _Sith_ apprentice?”

“It’s the perfect excuse for your presence there. As my apprentice, you’ll be near me at all times, and no one will dare to hurt you.”

“Just because you’ve sold your soul to the Sith doesn’t mean I will.”

“The Sith don’t trade, they steal,” Rey thought she heard Ben mutter, although he’d spoken too softly to be certain. Then, he straightened, his eyes cutting up to hers. “I’m not asking you to become a Sith. I’m asking you to continue training with the Force as you always have while pretending to be Sith.”

“ _No._ ”

“You’re trying to learn how to control your force lightning, aren’t you? How is that going?”

“It’s fine—”

“Really? Tell me: what do the Jedi texts have to say about controlling that kind of power?” Rey flushed, and Ben went on. “You have a gift, Rey. You don’t have to stifle it just because the Jedi don’t know how it works. I can teach you how to wield it _safely_. You’ll be able to protect your friends, without having to worry about hurting them.”

“And you’re qualified to teach me?”

Ben’s grip tightened on the arms of his chair. “Yes. Snoke—and Palpatine through Snoke—acted as my Sith Master. I killed Snoke. By Sith tradition, I’ve risen to the position of Sith Master.”

“You can’t replace Luke.”

His face softened. “I know that. Please, Rey.”

Rey took a deep breath. It wasn’t an entirely bad plan. Rey could certainly learn a lot about the Sith if she spied on them from inside their base. She’d have to find a way to get in touch with Finn and Poe…

Exhaling slowly, Rey finally looked at Ben. “What would the rest of my apprenticeship look like?” She assumed it would have to seem sufficiently realistic to anyone watching from the outside. In truth, Rey didn’t know much about Sith training.

“We’ll mimic your routine with Luke as much as possible. The physical aspects of your training will be nearly identical, strengthening your body and honing your technique. Unfortunately, the Sith will also expect to see a mental or spiritual side to your training as well. Sith meditations generally focus on exploring feelings and passions, rather than suppressing them—”

“Jedi don’t suppress anything.”

Ben shot her a bland look. “Snoke used meditations to exploit my pain and fuel my violence. I won’t go nearly that far with you. But I think you would benefit from researching Sith texts and histories. The Sith Eternal managed to rescue several documents from the destruction on Exegol. I’ve been working on translations in my spare time, despite the taboo.” He shot her a small, crooked smile. “I think you’d enjoy the research. You chose the scholar’s yellow saber, after all.”

“I had the Jedi texts,” Rey muttered. She’d chosen that saber with the expectation that she would be the guardian of the Jedi knowledge.

“Now, you’ll also have the Sith texts at your disposal.”

“I don’t… I never wanted that.” Still, Rey couldn’t disguise from Ben that he’d piqued her interest. Maybe it was because Rey’s personal history had been hidden from her for so long, but something inside of her yearned to protect the histories of former Force wielders, both Jedi and Sith. How could anyone make discoveries about the Force in the future without the knowledge of the past? How could anyone learn from the mistakes of their ancestors if the record of those mistakes were lost to time?

Maybe Ben could sense her interest, because he went on. “Perhaps we can also learn more about the bond between us. There’s still so much we don’t know.”

When Rey said nothing, Ben leaned forward in his chair. “I won’t make you torture or kill anyone, and I won’t ask you to give up on being a Jedi. I wish I could promise you that I won’t make you do _anything_ that you don’t want to do. I know that you don’t want to do any of this—”

“Okay.”

Ben blinked at her. “Okay?”

“I’ll do it—I’ll train with you and _pretend_ to be your Sith apprentice—on two conditions.”

“Which are?”

“First, I want us both to practice daily meditations on the Jedi teachings. I won’t risk forgetting what Luke taught me. And I don’t want you to forget, either.”

Ben frowned, but nodded his head. “Fine. I can agree to that. There’s at least one place where we can speak freely, without having to worry about being seen.”

“Good, because I also want you to help me smuggle information about the Sith to the Resistance.”

Ben’s body went rigid. “That is a bold request,” he hissed through his teeth.

“You know the ship better than I do. If I try to send my friends messages on my own, I’ll get caught. If you’re going to force me to pretend to be a Sith, I might as well be a spy.”

“They’ll be expecting that from you, it’s too obvious.”

“That’s why the messages will come from you,” she argued. Ben set his jaw, and she sighed, her eyes flashing. “Either you help me spy for the Resistance, or you drag me aboard the ship as your prisoner. I won’t go willingly, and I certainly won’t be your apprentice.”

Ben stared at her, lip curling over his front teeth in a snarl. Rey didn’t blink.

“Fine,” he barked, and raked a hand through his hair. “ _Fine_.”

 _Yes!_ Rey almost beamed. “Thank you.”

“As long as we’re in agreement,” he said gruffly, half turning away from her. “We’re near the Star Destroyer now. In a few moments, we’ll be close enough to pick up on radar—past the point of no return. You’re sure about this?”

“Yes,” Rey said, her voice sounding steadier than she felt. “I’m sure.”

After gauging her with a final glance, Ben nodded, and turned his back on her to concentrate on piloting the ship.

In the silence, Rey watched as he worked, mesmerized by the way his gloved hands navigated the advanced mechanisms with practiced familiarity.

“Is this the Silencer?” Rey asked suddenly.

Ben chuckled. “Yes, this is a Silencer. But not the one you’re familiar with.”

“Oh. Right…” Ben’s old TIE Silencer had been a prototype. This one looked even more experimental. Even from the inside, Rey could tell that this one was bigger, faster, and stronger than the one before. Its near-silent flight made it the ultimate tool for stealth in deep space. In spite of everything, Rey felt the familiar, burning curiosity to dismantle the ship so that she could study its pieces.

Abruptly, her attention snapped back to Ben. “Before we enter the Star Destroyer’s orbit, and I have to obey your every word—”

“Please, don’t. I’m asking you to disguise yourself as my student, not my droid.”

“—I just have to say that ‘Matt the Radar Technician’ is a stupid name for a mechanic.”

“It was an alias,” Ben murmured, not taking his eyes off the controls. “I was undercover.”

“Did you only fix radars?”

“I hadn’t figured that out yet. I’d been on Tatooine less than twenty-four hours. You were my first customer.”

Rey blinked. “Really?”

The leather chair creaked as Ben peeked at her over his shoulder. “I didn’t know where you were until I reached out to you last night. Do you remember?”

Her face heated. _Oh no, it was real_. “I thought that was a dream.”

An intense expression fell over his face. “It was, partially. You were already dreaming when I made contact through the bond.” His lips twitched into a mild smirk. “Once I saw that you were dreaming about me, I was reluctant to disturb you—”

“Okay,” Rey hissed. “I get it.” Kriff, her cheeks felt like the surface of Mustafar.

“That’s when I recognized the bed you were sleeping in.” Abruptly, Ben straightened in his seat, all hints of teasing gone from his voice. “I still can’t figure out why your friends left you alone on Tatooine—in Luke’s home, of all places—when you were clearly suffering without them.”

Her blush deepened in a flare of shame, and she glanced away. “It was the right thing for me to do. I am a Palpatine, after all.”

Eyes widening, Ben opened his mouth like he wanted to say something. But Rey’s attention snapped abruptly to the window as a looming white dagger of a ship pierced the darkness of space.

“The Sith Star Destroyer,” Rey whispered.

Ben followed her gaze. His face fell into a grim frown. “The last survivor from the Battle of Exegol.”

Rey leaned on the edge of her seat to get a better view. It was in remarkable shape, considering what had happened to the other ships on Exegol. Still, even at a distance, Rey could see scuffs and burns on the ship’s body. Somehow, the scars made the massive structure seem even more foreboding. Rey shivered. _That thing can destroy planets._

And now, it was going to be Rey’s home.


	6. Chapter 6

Finn woke up in Poe Dameron’s bed, wondering how he’d gotten there.

“My head,” he groaned, propping himself up on his elbow. “What the Kriff happened last night?” Even the feeble light piercing the blinds of Poe’s stateroom in the capital city of—Kriff, he couldn’t even remember which planet they were on now—was enough to make Finn’s temple throb.

Poe had taken breakfast at the table across the room. Hearing Finn stir, Poe glanced up at him, and spoke around mouthful of bacon of unknown origin. “We had mind-blowing sex last night. That’s why your head hurts.”

Finn felt his cheeks turn pink. “Seriously?”

“Of course not, Laser Brain.” Poe swallowed the bacon—probably Bantha meat?—and took a sip from his steaming mug. “You drank yourself into a stupor again because you were worried about Rey. I just dragged your ass out of the bar.”

“Oh.” Finn grimaced as he stumbled out of bed. Sometimes, Finn forgot that his feelings for Poe were completely unrequited.

“I would’ve taken you to your room, if I wasn’t worried that you’d choke on your own vomit in your sleep.”

“Thanks for that.”

“It’s what friends are for.”

Crossing the room, Finn plopped down onto the second seat at the table, and snatched a piece of the bacon off of Poe’s plate. After a moment of chewing, Finn gagged, and swallowed with a shudder. “That’s not Bantha meat.”

“Afraid not.” Smirking, Poe shoved a glass of pink fruit juice at Finn, and waited for him to drink.

After a beat of hesitation, Finn took a sip.

“Mmm, that’s good,” he said, draining the glass in a matter of moments. Again, he didn’t know what kind of fruit the juice came from, but it tasted worlds better than the bacon.

When he was done, Poe put his elbows on the table, and leaned forward. “I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again—”

“Here we go...”

“Look, I appreciate you helping me out with all of this political crap, but you don’t have to stay. I’d rather you stick with Rey, if you’re so worried about her. Honestly, I hate seeing you like this.”

“I’m fine, Poe.”

“You’re heartbroken. I’m man enough to admit that I was hurt when you wouldn’t tell me why you broke up with Rose. But it’s obvious that you’ve been in love with Rey from the start.”

Stunned, Finn shook his head. “You… Your aim is way off. And that’s coming from a Storm Trooper.”

It was eternally frustrating to Finn that no one seemed to understand the truth: that, after months of going on missions with Poe, Finn had fallen in love with him.

Rose was convinced that Finn had left her for Jannah, and Poe was convinced that Finn had always been in love with Rey. Meanwhile, Jannah was too busy rescuing fallen Storm Troopers from their own indoctrination to have a relationship at the moment. She’d said as much to Finn, and hadn’t looked surprised when Finn merely wished her the best of luck. She was a good friend, and he appreciated everything she’d done to help the Storm Troopers. But Finn didn’t like her in that way. In contrast, Poe was still licking his wounds after Zorii Bliss left him without a single explanation or goodbye. A couple months back, she simply vanished in the middle of the night—along with several confiscated First Order weapons. That was explanation enough for Finn and the rest of the Resistance, but Poe was still crushed.

Meanwhile, sweet, innocent Rey—Finn’s best friend in the whole, entire galaxy—was oblivious to all of the drama because she was still on Tatooine, suffering the loss of her soul mate, Kylo Ren. At least, Finn was 99.98% sure that they’d been in love: C-3PO helped him calculate the odds.

So yes, Finn was frustrated. Rey was the only person he could talk to about this, and she was out of reach. Maybe she’d be ready to talk to him about Kylo one day; Finn would have to set aside his hatred for the man. After that, maybe Finn could open up about his own heartaches. Until then, he’d suffer in silence. He was too much of a coward to admit his feelings to Poe.

Poe shoveled more of the disgusting bacon into his mouth, and grinned. “Whatever. Your aim still sucks.”

Suddenly, there was a knock on their door. They both glanced up at the noise. A piece of bacon slipped from Poe’s fingertips, and fell into his eggs.

The person on the other side knocked again—more insistent this time.

The sound was like a saber to Finn’s hangover headache. He moaned, and rubbed his temple. “Can you get that?”

The knocking didn’t stop.

Glancing at Finn, Poe’s expression shifted quickly from surprise to anger. He pushed out of his chair, and walked swiftly to the door, muttering, “It’s barely past eleven… I ask for one kriffing thing…”

Finn watched as Poe swung open the door, and froze. “Rose?”

The small girl stood in the doorway, her face pale and anxious. “Poe! Thank goodness.” R2-D2 was close on her heels. “There’s trouble with, um, _our friend_ —Oh!”

Immediately, Poe grabbed Rose by the arm, and yanked her inside. Then, he slammed the door shut behind her, nearly hitting R2-D2, who let out a flurry of beeps that sounded a lot like curses.

Glancing over Poe’s shoulder, Rose caught sight of Finn—who was currently sitting at Poe’s table in nothing but his socks and underwear. At first, Finn watched her brows pinch with confusion, as if trying to puzzle out why Finn was eating a late breakfast in Poe’s quarters wearing only his underwear. Finn flushed unconsciously, and her face went suddenly red.

She glanced back up at Poe. “I’m sorry if I… disturbed you?”

From the back of the room, Finn wasn’t able to see Poe’s expression, but his posture appeared unfazed: he continue to tower over Rose, his fingers still wrapped around her upper arm.

“What happened?”

“R2 intercepted an urgent message from BB-8 earlier this morning: Rey has been captured by the Sith.”

Paling, Poe released his hold on Rose, and motioned her wordlessly to take a seat. She perched on the edge of the couch, hand straying unconsciously to pet the top of R2’s head as the droid took its place by her feet. After Luke and Leia died, R2 had adopted Rose as its new human. As a mechanic, Rose was one of the few people capable of taking care of an old droid like R2-D2. She’d also been working with C-3PO in an effort to recover his lost memories.

Returning to his seat at the other end of the table, Poe balanced his elbows on his knees, and wiped a hand down his face. “Explain.”

“So, I was doing some repairs on C-3PO when R2 started going nuts, saying there was a comm from BB-8 that hadn’t been able to reach either of you. Apparently, Rey went into Mos Eisley to investigate the rumors of a mechanic causing trouble.”

“Was there a name?”

“Some guy named Matt the Radar Technician.”

“Holy shit, I know that guy,” Finn blurted, receiving matching looks of surprise from Poe and Rose. Flushing, he explained, “We worked together on Starkiller Base. He was a Storm Trooper, like me. At least, he used to be a Storm Trooper.”

“What is he now?” Poe said with a grimace.

Finn swallowed. “Dead. I watched him die on Jakku.” It had been the sight of Matt’s death—and Matt’s blood staining Finn’s helmet—that had convinced Finn to rescue Poe, and flee Starkiller Base.

Poe’s eyes widened. “He’s the one you…?”

“Yeah.”

Rose twisted her hands together in her lap. “This Matt ended up being Sith. Rey fought him but… She lost.”

“What?” Finn asked. Rey never lost. “Is she dead?”

Rose shook her head. “Oddly enough, no. At least, not as far as BB-8 saw. The Sith knocked her out, and took her aboard his ship—a TIE Silencer.”

Finn’s heart went cold. Kylo Ren was the only person who ever flew a TIE Silencer. But Kylo Ren was dead.

“And BB-8?” Poe asked, voice cracking.

“BB followed the Sith until he took off with Rey. Your droid is still hiding in the mechanic’s basement on Mos Eisley.”

Abruptly, Poe stood, knocking his chair to the side. “We have to find BB-8, and save Rey.”

Finn nodded. “Agreed.”

“Poe,” Rose said gently. “There’s too much work to do here. You’re the leader of the Resistance now: you can’t go running off after Rey. And… There’s something else you both need to know.”

“What else?” Poe spoke through clenched teeth.

“The Sith who took Rey claimed to be Ben Solo.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah, sorry this one took so long to get out! Just started a new job, and it's all I've had time to think about for the past few days.   
> Adulting sucks, avoid at all costs <3

“ _What?_ ” Now, it was Finn’s turn to knock his chair over. He scrambled to pick it up.

Rose nodded sadly, chewing on her plump bottom lip—a habit that Finn had once found unbearably adorable. “And it wasn’t just a mind trick. BB-8 sent footage…”

Rose gently patted the back of R2’s head, and a beam of pale blue light shot out from the droid’s face. The projection was grainy, but Finn could make out two figures moving against each other in violent battle: Rey’s small form, and a taller man in some kind of mask.

Finn let out a shuddering breath as he watched. “Is it really him?” The man seemed to be around Ren’s height, and he moved with Ren’s prowling grace.

“It’s him,” Poe growled. He rubbed the stubble on his chin with a haggard hand. “No one else fights like that. See that move there?” Poe pointed to where the Sith used the force to tear Rey’s saber from her hands. “That’s a technique invented by the Knights of Ren—although it’s less of a technique and more of a dirty trick, if you ask me.”

“It’s more than that,” Rose murmured, startling them both. She didn’t take her eyes off the projection. “This man _orbits_ Rey with his body, like his every move is attuned to her. I’ve only ever seen Kylo Ren do that. Or is he Ben now? I thought Rey said he was good.”

No one answered, falling silent as they watched Rey and Kylo Ren continue to struggle. The mask fell away, and there was no denying the man’s resemblance to Ren. Finn’s heart stopped as he watched Kylo Ren force Rey’s hand over his heart. It was difficult to tell with the poor-quality footage, but Rey’s cheeks looked wet. Finn felt Poe’s eyes on him, watching his reaction.

Suddenly, the two ripped apart as lightning flashed between them. Finn gasped, Poe cursed, and Rose brought a shaking hand to her lips as they all watched Rey fall to the ground. The pain was clearly visible on Rey’s face as she lifted her palms again to Kylo Ren. But her moment of hesitation took too long, and Ren was on her, twisting her hair in his grasp. He shouted at her, enraged. Rey looked utterly shattered. She was fighting him, but it was obvious to Finn that her heart wasn’t in it. As she struggled, she nearly hurled herself onto the wrong end of Kylo Ren’s saber—a sloppy mistake that Rey the Resistance Hero and Last Jedi wouldn’t make. Finn’s stomach churned as he watched with the realization that—in this moment—Rey seemed willing to let Kylo Ren end her life, rather than continue fighting him.

_When did she get to this point? And how did we let it happen?_

She said something, and Ren’s expression hardened. He bought the end of his saber down on her head, and knocked her out with a single, savage blow. Rey hit the ground hard, and stopped moving.

Finn’s heart lurched in his chest. _Get up, Rey_.

But she didn’t get up.

Kylo Ren’s face remained impassive as he knelt by Rey’s side. He took off his glove, and pressed two fingers to the side of her neck to check for a pulse. Finding one, he nodded once to himself.

Then, instead of pulling his hand away, Kylo Ren gently traced the back of his knuckles down Rey’s damp cheek. His expression softened into one Finn had never seen before.

But Finn knew how volatile Ren could be. On Starkiller Base, it had often been Finn’s responsibility to clean up Ren’s path of destruction. When he snapped, he destroyed everything within reach of his saber.

Finn longed to reach through the projection, and slap Kylo’s hand away from Rey’s face. A sense of helplessness washed over him as he watched Kylo Ren return the glove to his hand, and scoop Rey into his arms. He held her as easily and as gently as one would hold an infant, shifting so that her lolling head was pillowed against his shoulder. He moved as if she weighed nothing. Had he always been that strong?

Crossing the room with her in his arms, Kylo knelt again, this time to pick up Rey’s fallen saber. He palmed the hilt, studying it for a moment when suddenly, he froze.

Kylo Ren lifted his gaze, and looked directly at BB-8.

“No,” Poe whispered, horrified.

But instead of igniting the blade and striking down the droid, Kylo Ren silently tucked the saber into his pocket, tightened his hold on Rey, and turned away.

The footage ended abruptly.

“He saw BB-8 _._ ” Poe’s body was a blur of motion, muscles trembling with a mix of fear and rage. “He _saw_ BB-8.”

“Why let BB go?” Finn asked, anxiously watching as Poe paced the room. “He had a saber in his hand. All he had to do was hit a button and… and swing his arm.”

“It’s almost like he didn’t want to risk hurting Rey in the process.” Finn arched his brows at Rose, and she flushed. “At least, not any more than he already had hurt her.”

As much as he hated to admit it, Rose had a point. “Maybe he wanted us to let us know that he had her.”

She frowned, thinking. “Just to send a message? Or to help us find her?”

“I don’t care what his _fucking_ reason was,” Poe snarled, lips curling over his teeth. “I’m going to get my droid. Now, am I going to Tatooine alone, or are you two coming with me?”

As recognizable leaders within the Resistance, it was protocol for Poe, Finn, and even Rose to have an emergency bag packed at all times. As a result, it took them less than five minutes to meet back up at the Falcon.

“Don’t you think this ship is a little too conspicuous?” Rose asked, her voice high-pitched with worry.

Poe leveled a glare at her. “It’s our fastest ship, so it’s the one I’m taking.”

R2-D2 and C-3PO shuffled onboard behind them. At first, they were going to leave C-3PO behind to help deal with the intergalactic officials. Ultimately, they decided to take both droids, just in case they needed to translate anything from the Sith language—although C-3PO was not pleased by this news. Besides, Poe was confident in Lando’s abilities to charm the politicians and fulfill his duties for the time being.

As Poe began entering the coordinates for Tatooine, Rose pulled Finn aside.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a second?”

Finn frowned, and glanced at Poe. “Sure. I think we have a second.”

They left Poe in the cockpit, and retreated to the main part of the ship.

“This morning was weird,” Rose said, biting on her lip again. “I feel like I walked in on something with you and Poe.”

The flush returned to Finn’s cheeks. “You didn’t. I had a little too much to drink last night, and Poe brought me back to keep an eye on me. That’s all.”

Watching him, Rose nodded. “But you wanted more with him, didn’t you?”

Finn’s mouth worked as he struggled to come up with a reply. “I really don’t…”

“Wait, am I the only one who knows this?”

“Don’t say a word to Poe,” Finn hissed. “ _Please._ ”

“I wouldn’t.” She blinked at Finn in surprise. “Just because things didn’t work out between us doesn’t mean I’m not your friend.”

 _Oh._ “O-Okay, thank you.”

“Although, you haven’t acted like my friend recently. You’ve been avoiding me for months. I thought it was because you hadn’t moved on after we broke up. Now, I’m not sure what to make of it.”

Before Finn could come up with an answer, Poe yelled at them to take their seats.

They’d been flying for some time before Rose spoke up. “Are we going to address Rey’s feelings?”

Poe whipped around from the pilot’s seat, his eyes livid on Rose. “What the hell are you suggesting?”

“What do you mean?” Rose asked, blinking quickly. “In the footage it was clear that…”

“Kylo Ren tortured Rey the same way he tortured me. Are you saying that she could have feelings for someone who hurt her like that?”

“No, but maybe she has feelings for Ben.”

“They’re the same person!”

“Poe,” Finn began, making an effort to use a calming voice. “It’s a bit more complicated than that.”

Poe barked a harsh laugh. “How could it be more complicated?”

“Rey didn’t like to talk about it much, but she had a… a bond with Ben.” Kriff, how could he explain?

“A bond?” Poe curled his lip as if tasting something sour. “What kind of bond?”

“Their minds were connected somehow… Through the Force.”

“That’s a thing?”

“Apparently.”

Rose took a sharp breath. “That explains so much.”

“What could that possibly explain?” Poe asked incredulously.

“She never went on missions unless she had to, right? I bet she was worried that the bond would compromise the missions.”

“Then why didn’t she use the bond to spy on him?”

“That wasn’t the point of it,” Finn argued, wanting to bash his head into the wall. “The bond wasn’t about spying and espionage.”

“What was it about, then?”

 _It was about them being soul mates,_ Finn thought to himself. “It was about Rey bringing Ben back to the light.”

The line of Poe’s mouth turned grim. “Based on what we just saw, I think it’s safe to assume that whatever she was trying didn’t turn out the way she’d hoped.”

Finn fell silent. He couldn’t argue with that.


	8. Chapter 8

Ben’s ship shuddered around them, as if unwilling to be pulled into the embrace of the Star Destroyer’s hangar bay. Rey closed her eyes, and breathed deeply, feeling the ship struggle, and then eventually, go still.

_This is a stupid plan_ , she realized in a sharp spike of panic, feeling the whites of her eyes go large. Why had she agreed to this? Because she hoped to redeem Ben Solo?

It didn’t change the fact that she was his prisoner, and she’d just walked willingly into his cage.

She inhaled sharply, trying to stamp down her panic. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him glance at her. Still, he said nothing, his silent stare far from comforting.

_Alone_ , Rey thought, licking her dry lips. _I’m still alone._

Body numb, she barely felt it when Ben stooped behind her and freed her from her restraints.

Then, the airlock doors opened with a _hiss_ , snapping her out of her moment.

_Focus. Fight._ She wouldn’t roll over just because she was caged.

She shot to her feet fast enough to make her head swim, and reached for the staff that should’ve been at her back. But Ben grabbed her suddenly, keeping her arm at her side.

“Be still,” he demanded, an edge to his voice as he stared straight ahead. Was that… fear?

The imperative radiated down the bond, and Rey obeyed on pure instinct.

And yet, despite her best efforts to remain immobile, her body trembled with adrenalin as a man in black robes boarded Ben’s ship. Two Storm Troopers flanked him, their boots barely avoiding the edge of his cloak.

“I am glad to see your return, Dark Lord Kylo,” the man said, dipping his head in the barest semblance of a bow. Even up close, the shadows beneath his hood concealed the entirety of his face, and his voice was garbled—as if there were several voices speaking at once. “We’d just begun to worry.”

Ben’s hand fell away from her shoulder in an almost tender caress. “You had no need to fear for my safety, Eternal Creed.”

“Yes, I can see that now,” the man named Creed murmured. She felt the cold weight of his eyes on her battered flesh, and suppressed a shudder.

Then, the Sith Eternal made a noise in the back of his throat, and the Storm Troopers moved forward to seize her.

Rey shifted into a fighting stance, preparing to block a hit, or dance out of the way. But before she could make a move, she felt a heavy weight hit her from behind as Ben knocked her to the side.

With a shout, Rey barely managed to catch herself on the seat beside her, doubling over at the waist to avoid crashing completely to the floor.

She expected to feel rough hands pin her arms behind her back as Storm Troopers—or worse, Ben—wrenched her upright and dragged her off the ship. However, she found that her movements were unimpeded as she pushed herself back to her feet, and brushed her hair out of her eyes.

“ _Ah—_ ”

It was impossible to tell which Storm Trooper had let out the single, broken gasp: both hovered inches above the floor, caught halfway between Rey and the Sith Eternal. Their throats worked beneath an invisible grasp.

Ben held them both aloft with a single hand.

“Take back the order,” Ben growled at Sith Eternal Creed. “Or I’ll snap their necks.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Creed asked, waving the Storm Troopers off with a single gesture. Their boots clattered back to the ground. Coughing, they retreated back behind the robed figure with what remained of their dignity—but at least they had their lives.

“I am the Sith: I am to be obeyed, not questioned,” Ben’s answering eyes were cold, even beneath the distortion of the mask. “Or do I have to explain myself to you?”

From across the room, Rey could feel the hot bloom of the Sith Eternal’s fury. She knew Ben could feel it, too.

In contrast, the man’s voice was smooth and composed. His face revealed nothing. “I did not mean to offend, Darth Kylo. I simply do not understand—”

“She is mine. That’s all you need to know.”

“Certainly, my lord. I meant only to escort her to a cell for your… convenience.” At this, the High Priest of the Sith Eternal smiled, and Rey nearly retched. “Unless you’d prefer the intimacy of your own quarters.”

Ben’s leather gloves cracked softly as he curled his hands into fists. “She will not be escorted anywhere because she is not my prisoner.”

“What is she, then?”

Beneath the shadows of the hood, Rey caught the flicker of a single, arched brow. The obvious injuries and rope-burns on Rey’s skin burned against her skin beneath his penetrating gaze.

_Sith are master manipulators. How can Ben expect me to lie to them?_

“Wild creatures must be broken, before they can be trained,” was all Ben said in response.

“You’ve taken her as your apprentice.” Eternal Creed sighed deeply through his nose. “The others will not be pleased. They— _we_ —want to see her tried and punished for the murder of Palpatine and the destruction of Exegol.”

“What makes you so sure that I haven’t already administered punishment?”

The Priest studied Rey’s face for a moment, his unseen eyes tracing the welt on her head and the blood dried in her hair.

“They will want more,” he said finally. “She is a Jedi.”

“She _was_ a Jedi,” Ben corrected. “As was my grandfather before he embraced the dark side under Palpatine’s guidance.”

“It’s not the same. We all watched this girl reject Palpatine’s throne—”

“And then she killed him, proving that she is still the rightful heir to his throne and—more importantly—his power.” Ben’s voice shook with raw authority, sending chills up the side of her neck from where he stood beside her. “Anyone aboard this ship who voices doubt or dissent will come to know her birthright first-hand.”

Rey grimaced. That hadn’t been part of their agreement. She didn’t want to hurt anybody.

Eternal Creed shot Rey a small sneer before dipping his head in a low bow. “Yes, Darth Kylo. I will make sure that the other Sith Eternal others are aware.”

Turning swiftly on his heel, Eternal Creed vanished down the ship, the storm troopers like twin pale shadows at his back.

Rey’s ears rang with the sound of their boots against the metal floor, making it hard for her to think.

“Rey,” Ben said, snapping her out of her daze. His mask was merciless. “Follow me, and stay close.”

“Where?”

“Don’t ask questions.”

She bit down on her tongue, and—feeling only slightly woozy—trailed him out of the relative safety of his ship.

Lights flickered in the landing bay, making Rey’s head swim. All around her, gaunt faces of First Order engineers in tattered uniforms stopped to stare as she and Kylo Ren made their procession through the aisle of ships. Rey forced herself to walk with her shoulders back, despite the bruises on her face: obvious signs that she’d been beaten by the man walking just ahead of her. She didn’t have time to feel shame. As they moved through the Star Destroyer, Rey’s eyes flicked back and forth in an attempt to memorize her surroundings.

It was eerie to see the First Order stripped of its polish. The officers they passed looked tired and haggard, as if they’d been the ones brought back from the dead, after having fallen in that final battle. The ship was dilapidated. The brutal battle and the grueling months after had clearly not been kind. Everywhere, its walls were dented, its metal scratched. Smoke hissed from beneath random seams in its metal bolts, and Rey wondered how long it could support the last dregs of the dying army.

_Evil never dies_. The thought whispered through her head, and Rey wondered if it was her own. Or were the Jedi of the past with her still?

The shadowy members of the Sith Eternal lurked like evil incarnate at the edge of every room, conspiring in corners as they watched her arrival with heated glares. Rey let her eyes gloss over their faces, as if she was unaware of their presence. She counted at least fifty. And unlike the crew, most of them looked well fed and polished.

_At least some of the Sith Eternal are rich_ , Rey observed. _Their currency must be enough to keep this damned ship running._ Someone had to feed the Storm Troopers and fuel the ship.

Yet the Sith Eternal’s cloaks kept their identities hidden. They could be politicians and princes, or even traitorous members of the Resistance, and Rey would have no idea.

_I have to tell Poe_ , she realized, snapping her gaze forward. _He need to know all of this: he could have enemies standing at his side_.

Ben didn’t stop to accommodate her musings. Instead, he walked with a powerful stride through the crowd, barely acknowledging the Storm Troopers who stopped to salute or Sith Eternal who dipped their heads in reverence.

He didn’t slow until they reached a door at the end of an isolated hall. The hall looked identical to all the rest, with the exception that it was completely empty.

Stopping in front of one door in particular, Ben lifted his hand, and pressed his palm flat to a scanner. It blinked green beneath his touch, and the door slid smoothly open for him.

He put a hand on the small of Rey’s back—startling her—and ushered her into his chambers.

The door slid shut behind her with a neat _snick_. Shying away from Ben’s touch, Rey inhaled slowly, and looked around the room. She’d been half afraid that he’d trick her into stepping into a prison cell.

That couldn’t have been further from the truth.

The room was far larger than any prison cell had the right to be, and its sleek, modern design was made to be both practical and comfortable. It was more like an apartment, really—and it clearly belonged to Ben.

The space was minimalist to the point of being barren. The colors employed were mostly a monochromatic grey, although it was accented with shades of red and black. A wide, low bed sat far side of the room in a space half-secluded from the narrow kitchenette and living space near the entrance. On its own halfway between the kitchen and the bed, Rey made out a desk piled high with books, facing a wall covered in monitors and screens. Near the foot of the bed was the entrance to the ‘fresher. A mirrored closet door stood at its side, filled with long, black robes and armor.

That was the only real door in the whole place. Privacy had been sacrificed in the name of creating a space that felt “open” and “airy.” There wasn’t an inch of separation between the bedroom and the rest of the apartment, other than an artificial screen of light. Rey felt a grimace twist her lips as she stared at the opaque glass that was the only barrier between the ‘fresher and the rest of the room.

Strangely, the longest wall in the room was bare, but… textured, somehow. Taking several slow, steps forward—aware of Ben’s eyes on her the entire time—she realized that the entire wall was actually a window, with the blinds drawn tight.

“You should really open those… Let some light in…”

She laughed at her own joke right before her knees buckled, and her gut gave a sickening lurch.

Ben crossed the room in an instant and caught her by the top of the arm before Rey could hit the floor hard. Off-balance, she careened into his chest.

“Let me go,” she hissed, even as her body clung to his, too weak to stand on its own.

Ben merely shot her a bland look, and guided her to the end of her bed.

She tried to pull away the instant she was seated, but Ben’s grip was unyielding, holding her immobile as he reached with his other hand toward the other side of her.

“Don’t touch me,” she rasped, remembering how much pain he’d caused in his interrogation chamber when they’d first met—just by hovering his fingers over her skin. Rey hadn’t cracked under the torture, but she would never forget that pain.

But this time, Ben’s fingers were gentle as he probed the edges of her wounds, checking the damage.

“I didn’t want to hurt you today,” he murmured.

She batted his hand away weakly. “Is that supposed to be an apology?”

“Not necessarily.”

“Good.” She started to stand, but another wave of dizziness forced her to sink back down again. Breathing hard, she put her head in her hands, waiting for it to pass.

Ben’s eyes were intense as he watched. “I’ll send for the med droid.”

“I’m fine.”

“Your training starts tomorrow.”

_Training._ “I said, I’m _fine._ ”

She felt him towering over her; his voice was ice against her ears. “I will not go easy on you just because you are hurt. I will test your every physical, mental, and emotional limit.”

Rey let out a raspy laugh. “Aren’t Sith fueled by pain, or something like that?”

“Something like that,” Ben said softly. “If you falter, you will look weak to any prying eyes—and I’m sure there will be several.”

“Well, I’m sure,” she echoed sarcastically.

“They will wonder why I’ve chosen you as my apprentice. They will suspect our lie, and they will come for you.”

Rey sighed. His fears were valid.

“Look,” she said, dropping her eyes to her knees again—it was becoming more and more difficult to hold her head upright. “I don’t want to be poked and prodded by some med droid. I just want to get clean, and go to sleep. I haven’t…” _I haven’t slept well in days._ _Weeks. Months._

Ben’s eyes darkened, but he nodded. “The ‘fresher is over there. Your robes—”

“Thanks, but I’d prefer to use the ‘fresher in my room, if it’s all the same to you.”

“This is your room.”

Her mouth fell open with a comical _pop_. “You aren’t serious.”

Unfortunately, Ben was always serious: he held her stare, unblinking, over his crossed arms. “I am.”

“No, I’m not… _sleeping_ with you.”

Her cheeks flushed, and Ben rolled his eyes. “It’s just a precaution, for the sake of your own safety. I’d rather not wake up to find you murdered in your sleep by the Sith Eternal.”

“I lived on my own for years, in case you couldn’t remember. I can take care of myself.”

“Clearly,” he sneered, gesturing to her battered and broken body—and where she was now.

She clenched her teeth together. “Would I get my own bed in a prison cell?”

They stared each other down, until finally, Ben pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed. “Fine. I’ll arrange for you to have your own room. That will take time to prepare.”

“How much time until it’s ready?”

“Tomorrow, at the earliest.”

“Thank you,” Rey said, and rose unsteadily to her feet. “Until then, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Ben didn’t say anything, but she felt his heated glare on her back as she walked into the ‘fresher, and shut the opaque glass door that left far too little to the imagination.

Even though the steam made her feel lightheaded, Rey stayed in the shower for a long, long time, letting the hot water beat against her knotted and bruised muscles. When she stepped out of the shower, she found robes already folded on the edge of the sink.

_Sith robes._

The sight of her reflection in the mirror made her heart ache: her face looked bloodless against the black swath of fabric—so similar to her daily clothes, and yet so wrong. She left the hooded cloak sitting on the edge of the sink.

Ben was at his desk when she stepped out. He didn’t turn to look at her, but she could feel his eyes on her as she walked across the room, and lay down on the couch.

It was nowhere near as comfortable as her bed in Luke’s home, but it was far from the worst place she’d had to sleep. It was just long enough for her to stretch out completely. Rey didn’t have a blanket, but she was too tired to care.

“Rey…”

As she rolled over, she thought she heard Ben murmur her name. The words were too soft to be sure, and moments later, she was lost to her dreams.


	9. Chapter 9

For the first time in many nights, Rey did not dream about Ben Solo.

In her dream, she hadn’t met him yet because she was still an orphaned scavenger on Jakku, counting the days until her parents returned. Finn, Han, Leia, and Luke were all strangers to her, and the Jedi were nothing but an urban legend.

The vast, empty desert stretched out around Rey on all sides. Above her, the sky was a surreal, cloudless blue.

Rey combed the desert in solitude, looking for parts to scavenge. As she walked, a glimmer of metal suddenly caught her eye. However, when she bent down to investigate, she realized that it was merely the light off a mirrored, metal objected, reflected across the sand.

Confused, Rey followed the beam of light with her eyes, and looked up just in time to see a massive ship as it cleaved the sky in half.

 _My parents._ Her heart leapt inside her chest, as if it could brush the bottom of the mysterious, triangular ship. _They’re here. They found me._

Tears sprang into her eyes, and she raced forward. Her limbs felt heavy, but she pressed harder. She needed to be there when her parents stepped down the ramp.

Slowly, the ship settled into the sand, and the engines died. The high ramp lifted, and lowered, revealing her _family—_

The hope in her chest turned, rotting into pure dread and horror as she watched one, and then a multitude of faceless, hooded figures spill from the gaping maw of the ship.

 _The Sith_. This was her family now. And they’d come for her at last.

They whispered to her in a forbidden language as they gathered around her.

_“Join us… Come with us… Where you belong…”_

She scrambled backwards as gray hands reached for her.

Overwhelmed, she turned and ran, but not fast enough. Fingers pulled at the ends of her robes and hair, jerking her backwards until she was bound by a legion of arms, and surrounded by darkness.

Above her own screams, she heard the sound of Palpatine’s hoarse cackle.

Rey jerked awake, breathing fast. Her lungs hurt, and her throat felt raw.

 _Where am I?_ It was too dark to tell.

“BB-8?” she croaked, glancing wildly around for the little droid.

She heard a deep, familiar voice whisper her name, and she remembered where she was.

Twisting sharply, Rey looked across Ben’s room on the last Star Destroyer, and Ben standing in the darkness just beyond the couch, watching her with a deep frown. His chest was bare, and he was wearing only his sleep pants.

She felt some color return to her bloodless cheeks, and glanced quickly away. “Did I wake you?”

“Yes.” He approached her slowly, as if any sudden movement could send her flying. She remained motionless as he perched on the end of the coffee table in front of her. “This nightmare was different from the others, wasn’t it?”

 _He saw everything, didn’t he?_ As she pulled her legs to her chest, Rey disturbed a blanket she hadn’t remembered covering herself with.

 _No, not a blanket_ , she realized. A dull sense of horror swept through her as she recognized the black Sith robes Ben had given her to wear earlier.

The mental image of Ben gently placing the cloak over her sleeping form disturbed and comforted her in equal measure.

“Did I look cold?” She rasped. Her voice didn’t sound as sharp as she intended.

“You were shivering.”

“That didn’t mean you had to touch me.”

He arched a brow. “I never said I touched you. Although, I was tempted to carry you to the bed, if only to spite your stubbornness.”

She wrinkled her nose at the mere thought of it, and he chuckled. The sound made her shudder.

_Ben…_

His eyes snapped back to hers, as if summoned by her thought.

“Talk to me, please,” he murmured, leaning forward. “You don’t trust me. I need to trust me, for any of this to work.”

She jerked her chin in a small nod, eyes falling to his full, half-parted lips. They were plum-colored in the darkness that seemed to pulse around them with its own, living heartbeat. Shaking herself, Rey forced her gaze away from his face. As her eyes swept the room, she realized, with a small start, that the wide windows on the long wall of the room were now fully open, revealing a stunning view of open space. Through the thick glass, Rey could see whorls of purple-blue galaxies, and the bronze glitter of space dust between a thousand crystalline stars.

“I _don’t_ trust you,” she felt herself saying, still lost in the view. “I can’t tell if you’re trying to help me, or trying to serve me to the Sith on a silver platter… Or some deranged combination of the two.”

He grasped her hand in his suddenly, and squeezed it hard. “I’m trying to help you; I only want what’s best for you. I can protect you here, and help you embrace your future. How can I prove that to you?”

Unnerved by his intensity, Rey snatched her hand away, and clutched it to her chest. She could feel her heart pound beneath her fingertips. “I’m sure you’ll prove yourself soon enough.”

His gaze darkened. “You act like you don’t know me now—like you don’t understand my intentions. But we’re still the same, Rey. That hasn’t changed.”

“You… You _want_ this. I don’t.”

“The darkness is a part of you, just the same as it is a part of me. We were both born with it inside of us.”

“Then, you meant what you said before, to Eternal Creed: You believe that I’m Palpatine’s heir.”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.”

She shook her head. “Whatever inheritance you think I’m entitled to, I won’t accept it.” As she spoke, an idea occurred. “You knew I wouldn’t want it. Why hunt me down and drag me here? Why not take Palpatine’s seat of power for yourself? You’re the heir apparent to Vader, surely you had the right to claim it.”

“You know why,” he muttered, and glanced away.

She was about to say that she really _didn’t_ know why, but before she could he pierced her with an intense look.

“Look, it doesn’t matter: I don’t care how you feel about Palpatine. What matters is that you’re here with me. I know you’re not comfortable here yet. You’re afraid, confused, and uncertain. I understand how you feel: I felt it all before, when I was Snoke’s apprentice, and I feel it with you now, through our bond. I can help you through your time here… We can make it through, together.”

His words were… Oddly comforting. She found herself nodding slowly, and whispering, “Can I ask you…? How did you feel when you learned that Darth Vader was your grandfather?”

“Acknowledged,” Ben said bluntly and without shame. “Like I finally understood the darkness I’d always felt within myself. My mother told me that my father was a powerful Jedi named Anakin Skywalker, and that he’d died saving Luke’s life. It wasn’t until Snoke told me that I learned Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were one and the same person.”

“And that’s when you began to idolize Vader?” Rey’s nose wrinkled, and her distaste was audible.

“My parents were war heroes. I was strong, but I wasn’t… Heroic.” He raked a hand through his hair, and winced.

“At least you were something to them.”

“I was _nothing_ to them,” he said fiercely. “Nothing other than an embarrassment to them both. Where my mother was diplomatic, I was sullen and awkward. Where my father was charming, sarcastic, and easy-going, I was unable to control my rage. Neither of them knew how to handle me. They sent me off to Luke, but he didn’t fare any better.

“When I learned the truth about Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader, I finally understood: I wasn’t meant to be a Jedi. I was meant to be a Sith Lord, like my grandfather. The Sith found power in anger, passion, and bloodshed. I could embrace the brooding and destructive parts of myself, instead of trying to hide them.”

Hidden beneath the weight of the cloak, Rey’s hands curled into fists against her ribs.

“You gave up trying to control your own emotions,” she said, her anger seeping through to her voice. “Joining the Sith was just an excuse to stop trying.”

“Interpret my decisions however you’d like.” He clenched his jaw, and glanced away. “Unlike you, I sleep at night.”

Rey flinched, but only slightly.

Ben sighed. “Clearly, you didn’t feel the same way when you learned that Palatine was your grandfather. Tell me, how did you feel?”

“You already know, don’t you?”

“Perhaps, but I want you to say it.”

He gave her a dark look from beneath the fringe of his long, black lashes, and Rey’s stomach did a flip.

“When I learned… the truth… I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare.” Rey’s voice shook. She pushed the hair out of her eyes with a trembling hand. “Palpatine was my family, but he…”

“He was a monster,” Ben finished for her, and took her hand again. This time, Rey didn’t pull away: Ben’s fingers were warm. “Yes, that’s what I think, too. He wanted to use you for your power because you were stronger than he was. I don’t regret his death.”

“What does that make me, Ben?” She ripped her hand out of his grasp, and he blinked at her in surprise. “He killed my parents, and he turned _you_ into Kylo Ren. What does that mean I’m capable of, if I’m his heir?”

Shivers raked her entire body, and the cloak fell to the floor. Slowly, Ben retrieved it, and draped it over her shoulders, securing it gently beneath her chin. His fingers skimmed her collarbone, and she shivered at the warmth.

“You’re not a monster, Rey.”

“I could easily turn into one, with a bit of training,” she whispered, staring at her knees. “Don’t make me do this, Ben. _Please._ I don’t care if I’m stronger than Palpatine was. I don’t want to be strong. I just want to be good.”

“But you are strong,” he said gently. His fingers lingered, smoothing the cloak over her shoulder. “And being a Jedi doesn’t make you good. You know all of that, so what are you really afraid of?”

She swallowed, the air thick with his closeness, and the feeling of his fingers skimming down her arm. “I’m afraid that if I pretend to be a Sith, I’ll lose sight of what it means to be a Jedi.”

“If you forget, it wasn’t worth remembering.” Ben’s answer was unforgiving, as he dropped his hand from her arm. “Call yourself whatever you’d like, your training will be real. You must learn to control your power. Only a Sith can teach you that.”

Rey closed her eyes. Ben was right: Jedi or Sith, she needed to learn self-control. But where would Kylo Ren’s training leave her? What kind of person would she be when it was done?

Eyes distant, Ben stood. “It’s too late for us to turn back now.” He glanced at her again, and his voice hovered somewhere between tender and gruff. “I know you’re afraid. But you’re not alone: the path you’ve started down has merges with mine. You don’t have to be alone ever again. You can trust me.”

Of course, Rey already trusted him far too much. He had a way of seeing straight through her to her deepest fears and vulnerabilities to do with as he pleased.

She heard him move in the dark, until he was on the far side of the room and in bed. Curling up on her side, Rey listened to the sound of his breathing, waiting for it to turn slow and even.

She fell asleep before it did.


End file.
